Big lineman carrying familiar family name

Doug Alden, Associated Press

Published 4:00 am, Sunday, April 20, 2008

Photo: Douglas C. Pizac

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Utah State offensive lineman Shawn Murphy holds framed pages from Sports Illustrated showcasing his father, major league baseball player Dale Murphy, Wednesday, April 16, 2007, in Logan, Utah. The son of the two-time National League MVP, Shawn gave up playing baseball late in high school so he could focus on football. Eight years later, it may have been a career decision as he waits for the NFL draft. (AP Photo/Douglas C. Pizac) less

Utah State offensive lineman Shawn Murphy holds framed pages from Sports Illustrated showcasing his father, major league baseball player Dale Murphy, Wednesday, April 16, 2007, in Logan, Utah. The son of the ... more

Photo: Douglas C. Pizac

Big lineman carrying familiar family name

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Shawn Murphy found a very effective way to get out from under his father's Major League shadow.

He became an offensive lineman.

Murphy, the son of former Atlanta Braves star Dale Murphy, is forging his own way into pro sports as an NFL draft prospect. He gave up his father's game late in high school to focus on football, not knowing that it would turn into a career decision eight years later.

He's a little surprised to hear his name mentioned in any of the early projections, let alone as a possible sleeper who could go in the second or third round. He's also heard he may not get picked at all.

After the roundabout route he has taken to get here, Shawn would be content with any chance he gets.

"I feel like I deserve the shot I'm getting through work, playing hard and sticking with it," he said, "but at the same time it just still doesn't feel very real."

At 25, Shawn could be one of the oldest members of this year's rookie class. He took two years off from football to serve a church mission in Brazil, then spent another year away from the game considering whether he wanted to even play again.

His career has included stints at two junior colleges and finally Utah State, where he spent the last two years and got plenty of attention from scouts - more for what he was doing on the offensive line than for his athletic pedigree.

He started 12 games at tackle as a junior, then moved to guard for his senior season and started all 12 again. At 6-foot-4, 315 pounds, his size is ideal for a guard. He also has quick feet and graded well at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.

Now, he's working out and waiting.

Dale said the pre-draft anxiety brings back some memories, but what he went through before the 1974 baseball draft and what Shawn is experiencing are vastly different. Baseball's selections still don't get the attention the two days of NFL picks get every spring. And the idea of watching a draft for either sport round-by-round, live on television, was unheard of when Dale was selected No. 5 overall by the Braves 34 years ago.

"I can't even remember how we found out. I think I got a phone call," Dale said.

After returning from Brazil, where he lost 40 pounds and weighed in around 230, Shawn was without a football home. He had played as a freshman at Ricks College, now known as BYU-Idaho, which dropped athletics while Shawn was serving his Mormon mission.

He waited tables and worked as a bouncer while taking classes and trying to figure out his life. For a while, he wasn't sure he wanted to play football again.

That changed when he went to see BYU's season opener against Notre Dame in 2004.

"I just remember thinking 'I can do this and I want to do this."' Cheeseburgers, pizza and lots of time in the weight room helped him get back to his playing weight. He returned to football at Dixie State in 2005, moving from defensive end to the offensive line. After one season with the Rebels, larger schools were interested in Murphy and Utah State won the recruiting campaign, largely because he could play for the Aggies right away.

Utah State went 1-11 in 2006 and 2-10 last fall. Despite the team's struggles, Murphy stood out enough to play in the East-West Shrine game and get invited to the draft combine.